


Family Of The Heart

by Joanne_c



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21706477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joanne_c/pseuds/Joanne_c
Summary: "It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons." Friedrich Schiller
Relationships: James T. Kirk & Christopher Pike
Comments: 5
Kudos: 65
Collections: Star Trek Holidays 2019





	Family Of The Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paranoidangel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paranoidangel/gifts).



It was said that Christopher Pike never had children. It was also said that James Kirk’s father died the day he was born. While both statements could be said to be true, and in technical terms were true, that only told one side of the story.

While it was true that George Kirk died and that as far as he knew Christopher Pike never fathered a child, that ignored the fact that some connections aren’t biological. It ignored the fact that sometimes the connection is through experience and feelings, not giving genetic material to make a child. That waiting all night without a wink of sleep to be sure someone is going to survive, then holding their hand with relief even though they may not be aware of it and winding up falling asleep on the chair beside them and feeling their other hand ruffle your hair to wake you wasn’t as profound as it would be if you shared genes. That was simply untrue. While they might not call each other by the name, Christopher Pike felt as if he were James Kirk’s parent, or step parent perhaps. Jim had come into his life later, and while Jim would never consider anyone but George Kirk his father, he knew there was something between himself and Christopher that didn’t exist, and yes, he could say it felt parental. The feelings were what mattered.

What mattered was that it was Jim who was at the hospital after Christopher was brutalized by Nero. It was Jim who stood by him in physical therapy and encouraged him to walk again. It was Jim who wouldn’t let Christopher give up, even when he wanted to.

“There are days,” Christopher said, “when I wouldn’t even get out of bed if it wasn’t for you.”

“I know,” Jim replied. “That’s why I’m not going anywhere until you’re recovered enough that you can get out of bed any time you want. Or at least that if you stay in, it’s because you want to.”

“Thank you,” Christopher said, sincerely. Apparently defeating a crazed Romulan had its advantages, because Jim wasn’t being sent out again yet. Of course, the Enterprise was still under repair, but Christopher knew that Jim could be out in space if he wanted. He was grateful that he didn’t, not yet.

“Next milestone, I’ll get you some real scotch,” Jim promised.

“Make it bourbon and I’ll try harder,” Christopher shot back.

Jim chuckled. “Okay, bourbon then,” and sure enough, the first time Christopher walked outside, there was Jim with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses.

“Should I be drinking?” Christopher wondered, even as he tipped the glass to his lips.

“I checked,” Jim said sincerely. “I’m not taking any chances with your recovery. They adjusted the meds. But only a couple, the doc said.”

“I’m shocked he didn’t say one,” Christopher laughed, and relaxed, enjoying the sun on his face. He might put on a brave face but there had been a few moments he had thought that this would never happen again. The sun felt good.

“I might have negotiated up,” Jim admitted, “but I wouldn’t have if he’d said a firm no,” was his response to a raised eyebrow. “Also talk, I get enough eyebrows from Spock.”

“Where do you think he learned it from?” Christopher teased.  
“You mean I have you to thank for the stoicism? Here I thought it was Ambassador Sarek. Besides, did I say I meant our Spock?”

“What do you… oh, the Spock from the other timeline? Have you been talking to him?” Christopher asked.

“Yes, but it can be frustrating. Sometimes he’ll start to say something and won’t continue, because it might change the course of our history. Time travel or universe travel is weird,” Jim said.

“I could say weird is part of the job,” Christopher said. “But that would only be the half of it.”

“Truer words,” Jim poured them a second drink. “Oh and it’s both Spocks, which makes eyebrows as communication twice as annoying.”

“Of course it does,” Christopher sipped his second drink. “It couldn’t possibly be that you drive them to it, now could it?”

“Quite likely,” Jim admitted. “But that doesn’t mean you have to start emulating them. We all know you don’t have to suppress your emotions.”

“You’d be surprised,” Christopher answered. “At least in the beginning. I still haven’t told you some of the more difficult moments.”

“But you would if you needed to, that’s the difference,” Jim said. “You know I won’t judge you if you have a moment of weakness.”

“You haven’t so far,” Christopher agreed. 

“I won’t, ever, no judgement here,” Jim said. “Just the way you never judged me, except when I needed to be.”

There was a moment Christopher would have protested, but Jim’s full words made it unnecessary.

He put his hand over the glass when Jim offered him a third drink, and was quietly happy when Jim didn’t pour one for himself. While Jim could certainly handle more than three, it was good that he was showing some restraint. Small changes would lead to large ones, after all, and while Jim wasn’t the reckless kid who was looking for the next thrill that Christopher had first met, there were still times he wondered if Jim would fall back to that.

Saying it aloud would only lead to it happening, if not now in the future, so Christopher didn’t, but he noted the small changes.

It wasn’t like Jim didn’t get enough thrills – the stories of combat training and his brief missions were enough to turn Christopher’s hair white even given his checkered youth – but they seemed less destructive than he’d been before. Or maybe they were more acceptable to Christopher, he wouldn’t deny that in himself.

“So what next?” he asked Jim, as they sat there, contemplating the sky. Or maybe just thinking, he wasn’t sure.

“ We get you completely better, then I guess it’s the Enterprise,” Jim answered. “I can’t let her stay in drydock forever.”

“You could leave me in drydock and take her out again,” Christopher said, tentatively.

“No, she’ll wait. Not forever, but long enough for us to get you back on your feet,” Jim answered. “You’re more important than the ship.”

Christopher took that as the compliment it was, and didn’t object when Jim helped him back to his room. It had been a good day.


End file.
